The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU and KUT News 90.5 are hosting an interactive dialogue among young Texans — those who are engaged and those who aren’t — about the causes of low civic participation in Central Texas and how to boost it. “Why Bother? Voices of a New Generation” will explore:

Why some young people are passionate community volunteers but disengaged voters,

Why others are opting out of a presidential election that offers radically different visions for the future of the country

What it will take to magnify the influence of the largest potential voting bloc in America in the political process.

Featured panelists include: Jeanne Goka, principal of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders; Paulina Sosa, University of Texas student and ONE Campaign Austin leader; Ann Beeson, Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life; and other young leaders and community members.

This episode will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, on KLRU and KUT 90.5, and again on KLRU at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7. KUT News is producing a series of reports on the crisis of civic engagement, which will air leading up to and following the Oct. 2 forum. Listen to the stories at KUT.org

Sponsored by the Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU and KUT, this event is part of “Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today,” a news and public dialogue series intended to get people talking about why Texas has one of the lowest rates of civic engagement in the world, and what we can do about it.

Future public dialogues this fall and next spring will address the impact of changing demographics on civic participation in Central Texas, how to get your voice heard by the Texas Legislature and what it will take to get more citizens involved in Austin city government and planning. For more information about the series and the civic engagement crisis in Central Texas, visit whybothertexas.org.

September 30 is the end of our fiscal year and we need your help to reach that date with a balanced budget. Please take a minute and join our Countdown Campaign to raise $115,000 in the next 7 days. As we celebrate 50 years of public television in Central Texas, we know that there are so many of you that value KLRU, but now we’re asking you to support us with a gift - any amount you can give will make a huge difference to KLRU right now.

KLRU is Austin’s only locally owned and operated television station. With over half of our support coming from individuals like you, we take very seriously our commitment to inspire – and be inspired by – everyone in Central Texas. We are public television so KLRU is your station.

I hope you’ll take this opportunity to reflect on how much you value KLRU’s commitment to keeping Austin entertained, informed and educated and join our Countdown Campaign right now by:

Making your first gift ever to KLRU right now because your children love Sesame Street, Word Girl, and Dinosaur Train.

Renewing your support of KLRU this year because you can’t live without new episodes of Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and Doctor Who.

Casting your vote for your favorite local programs like Central Texas Gardener, Overheard with Evan Smith, The Daytripper, and Arts in Context.

We are diligent stewards of our limited resources, consistently trimming expenses while at the same time preserving the strength of our content and community. Despite our best efforts, we’re approaching the end of our fiscal year with a deficit. We need your help, right now to reach our Countdown Campaign goal by September 30th.

Nature “The Animal House” at 7 pm
Animals build homes for reasons very similar to our own, but they’ve been doing it for much longer. From a small depression in the sand to an elaborate, multi-chambered tunnel – animal structures can be simple or architectural marvels. In each case, the goal is the same – protection from predators and a nearby source of food. These structures, whether a nest, a burrow or a mound, are also the site of great dramas and extraordinary behaviors. From master builders like termites and beavers, to master decorators like the bowerbird, which places colorful flowers at the entrance to its nest, “The Animal House” will be a global look at the “homelife of wildlife.”

NOVA “Making Stuff Cleaner” at 8 pm
From carbon nanotubes to artificial skin, our world is poised at the frontier of a revolution in materials science as far-reaching as the biotech breakthroughs of the last two decades. This series explores how materials changed history and are shaping the future, ranging from cost-effective fuel cells and solar panels to quantum computers and ultra-light automobiles. The New York Times’ technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue brings his trademark goofball humor and techie zeal to this exploration of the future of “stuff.” Each episode explores the talent, luck and determination that can turn a wild idea into a cutting-edge material or high-tech breakthrough. Making Stuff Cleaner – Host David Pogue is on a quest to clean up, using new green materials to build and power the devices of the future. Batteries grown from viruses, plastics made of sugar and solar cells that cook up hydrogen are just the beginning of a new generation of clean materials.

NOVA “Making Stuff Smarter” at 9 pm
From carbon nanotubes to artificial skin, our world is poised at the frontier of a revolution in materials science as far-reaching as the biotech breakthroughs of the last two decades. This series explores how materials changed history and are shaping the future, ranging from cost-effective fuel cells and solar panels to quantum computers and ultra-light automobiles. The New York Times’ technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue brings his trademark goofball humor and techie zeal to this exploration of the future of “stuff.” Each episode explores the talent, luck and determination that can turn a wild idea into a cutting-edge material or high-tech breakthrough. Making Stuff Smarter – An army tanker truck that heals its own bullet wounds. An airplane wing that changes shape as it flies. Clothing that can monitor its wearer’s heart rate, health and mood. Host David Pogue looks into the growing number of smart materials that can respond, change and even learn.

Frontline at 8 pm Tuesday spends a semester immersed in a Houston high school to produce a portrait of four students in crisis and the teachers, counselors and principal waging a daily, personal struggle to get them to graduation.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday provides a global look at the “homelife of wildlife” from a small depression in the sand to elaborate, multi-chambered tunnels.

On NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday, New York Times’ technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue brings his trademark goofball humor and techie zeal on a quest to clean up, using new green materials to build and power the devices of the future in “Making Stuff Cleaner”. He then looks into the growing number of smart materials that can respond, change and even learn in “Making Stuff Smarter” at 9 pm.

Singer and songwriter Jeff Tweedy discusses his life and career on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Chet heads to Goliad to visit the location of the famous Goliad Massacre, take a canoe ride, and eat some award winning soup and delicious Tex Mex on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday.

POV at 9 pm Thursday presents “El Velador (The Night Watchman)”, a film depicting the life and stories of a guard who watches over the extravagant mausoleums of some of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords.

Explore “lucha libre” and its role in Latino communities in the United States and Mexico on Voces on PBS at 9 pm Friday.

Our friends at The 48 Hour Film Project are hosting a best of screening on Monday, Sept. 24, at the Long Center at 7 pm. At this screening they will announce the winners of the 48 Hour Film Project which has filmmaking teams create a short film in just 48 hours. They’ve given us a few pair of tickets to give to our fans, just post a comment by noon Friday, Sept. 21. Or you can buy tickets online

About the 48 Hour Film Project:
The 48 Hour Film Project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork skills. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on “doing” instead of “talking.”

Access News returns for a second season on KLRU this month. Access News is a unique half-hour program hosted by Tamara Suiter-Ocuto. Tamara interviews congressional leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, law enforcement officials, New York Times best selling authors, community activists, and more. Each episode is presented in American Sign Language, English, and captioned! The civic-learning featured segments, called “A More Perfect Union” are hosted by Professor Don Miller. Both Tamara and Don are Deaf. The program is designed for total access-ibility. The issues discussed are engaging, topical, relevant, and important for all viewers Deaf and hearing alike.

What does it take to save a student? Every year, hundreds of thousands of teenagers in the United States quit high school without diplomas – an epidemic so out of control that nobody knows the exact number. FRONTLINE spent a semester immersed in Sharpstown High to produce an unforgettable portrait of four students in crisis and the teachers, counselors, and principal waging a daily, personal struggle to get them to graduation. A troubling and inspiring journey through the maze of an inner city high school, Dropout Nation investigates the causes, challenges, and potential solutions of a national emergency. Droupout Nation airs at 9 pm September 25th

Our friends at the Texas Tribune present the second annual Texas Tribune Festival Sept. 21 to 23 featuring PBS’s Gwen Ifil and many others. The Tribune has given us a pair of tickets to give to our fans.

Post a comment below about your favorite public affairs program on KLRU. We’ll randomly pick the one person to receive two tickets. Post your comment by noon Thursday, Sept. 20. You can buy tickets on the festival site

About the Festival:
Texas Tribune Festival, a full weekend of debate, discussion and dialogue featuring some of the biggest names in the world of politics and public policy, including chairs of major committees in the Texas House and Senate on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

Among the festival’s confirmed participants — more than 120 as of this writing — are a range of federal and state elected officials, public policy professionals, issue activists and advocates, leaders from academia, and more. They include Gov. Rick Perry; Texas House Speaker Joe Straus; Attorney General Greg Abbott; San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro appearing alongside Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ted Cruz; Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples; former gubernatorial candidate and We Texans executive director Debra Medina; Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins; Kyle Janek, incoming executive commissioner of health and human services; criminal defense lawyer Rusty Hardin; Donna Nelson, chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission; U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar and Blake Farenthold; Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System; Al Armendariz, former regional Environmental Protection Agency administrator; and Gwen Ifill, moderator of Washington Week and PBS NewsHour senior correspondent.

In addition, seven celebrated Texans will speak at exclusive, intimate breakfasts on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 23. They include Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio; state Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon; state Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee; and congressional candidate Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso.

We’re approaching the end of our fiscal year with a budget deficit and we need your help to reach our goal by September 30. As of this morning, we’re $185,900 short. More than ever we need the help of our loyal viewers – YOU – to join us. Each and every gift, no matter the amount, from every person who is able to will help tremendously right now.